RRND Email Full Text (Scheduled)

  • TX: Teen falsely accused of race-based bullying wins $3.2 million verdict

    Source: Fox News

    “A Texas jury has delivered a decisive verdict in a case that once ignited national outrage and dominated headlines. Five years after a classmate accused Asher Vann of racially motivated bullying at a sleepover, jurors awarded Vann — now a college freshman — $3.2 million in damages, finding that false claims and a viral narrative caused severe emotional distress and invaded his privacy. … The case stemmed from a 2021 incident in which 13-year-old SeMarion Humphrey alleged that Vann and several other boys shot him with a BB gun and forced him to drink urine during a sleepover — accusations that were quickly framed as race-based bullying and drew national media attention, protests and involvement from activists. Vann said the accusations were far from the truth.” (02/18/26)

    https://www.foxnews.com/media/teen-falsely-accused-race-based-bullying-wins-3-2m-verdict-from-texas-jury-after-viral-allegations

  • Moderna says the FDA will consider its new flu shot after resolving a public dispute

    Source: San Diego Union-Tribune

    “The Food and Drug Administration will consider whether to approve Moderna’s new flu vaccine after all, resolving a dispute that had blocked the company’s application for the first-of-its-kind shot. Moderna announced the change Wednesday, about a week after revealing that the FDA’s vaccine chief was refusing to review the new vaccine, made with Nobel Prize-winning mRNA technology. The dispute centered over a 40,000-person clinical trial that concluded Moderna’s new vaccine was more effective in adults age 50 and older than one of the standard flu shots used today. In the FDA’s rare ‘refusal to file’ letter, vaccine director Dr. Vinay Prasad faulted the trial for not including another brand specifically recommended for people 65 and older.” (02/18/26)

    https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2026/02/18/moderna-fda-flu-shot/

  • DC: Beloved millionaire Maine philanthropist shot dead in ritzy suburban assisted-living home

    Source: Fox News

    “A millionaire philanthropist from Maine was shot dead in an assisted living facility in a ritzy Washington, D.C. suburb, according to police. The Montgomery County Department of Police in Maryland said it responded to an early-morning Feb. 14 emergency call at the Cogir Potomac Senior Living, where first responders found Robert Fuller Jr., 87, with severe head trauma. ‘After processing the scene, Homicide detectives confirmed that Fuller had been shot,’ the department said in a release. ‘His death is being investigated as a homicide and he was taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for autopsy to determine cause and manner of death.’ An arrest has not been made in the case, and police have no suspects. Fuller was a retired Navy reserve officer and high-powered attorney from Augusta, Maine, where he was known to be a major philanthropist, according to reports.” (02/18/26)

    https://www.foxnews.com/us/beloved-millionaire-maine-philanthropist-shot-dead-ritzy-dc-suburb-assisted-living-home-no-arrests-made

  • Germany: Court tells X to hand over data on Hungarian election

    Source: Politico

    “A court in Germany on Tuesday ordered Elon Musk’s social media site X to hand over data related to the upcoming election in Hungary to researchers for scrutiny. The court in Berlin ruled in favor of rights group Democracy Reporting International in its bid to access data to research influence campaigns and disinformation in the election. The group took its case to court after X in November refused its data access requests. The European Union’s rules for social media platforms, the Digital Services Act, obliges big online platforms like X to grant external researchers access to data to scrutinize how platforms handle risks, including election interference.” (02/18/26)

    https://www.politico.eu/article/berlin-court-tells-x-to-hand-over-data-on-hungarian-election

  • Poll: Many Democrats still down on the Democratic Party

    Source: SFGate

    “Democratic candidates have notched a series of wins in recent special elections — but a new AP-NORC poll finds views of the Democratic Party among rank-and-file Democrats have not bounced back since President Donald Trump ’s 2024 victory. Only about 7 in 10 Democrats have a positive view of the Democratic Party, according to new polling from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. While the overwhelming majority of Democrats still feel good about their party, they’re much less positive than they’ve been in the past. The midterm elections are still many months away, and lackluster favorability doesn’t spell electoral doom. Other factors could benefit Democrats this year, including broadly negative views of Trump and other Republicans. But the lack of enthusiasm could be a longer-term problem for the party.” (02/18/26)

    https://www.sfgate.com/news/politics/article/the-latest-many-democrats-are-still-down-on-the-21360107.php

  • Tesla stops using “Autopilot” to promote its EVs in California

    Source: Engadget

    “Tesla has stopped using the term ‘Autopilot’ to sell its cars in California, thereby avoiding a 30-day sales and manufacturing ban in the state. If you’ll recall, a California administrative law judge ruled in December that the automaker misled consumers by using the terms ‘Autopilot’ and ‘Full Self-Driving.’ The judge recommended the suspension, but the California DMV gave Tesla 60 days to remove any untrue and misleading language in its marketing materials. In its announcement, the DMV said Tesla has taken corrective action and has stopped using Autopilot for marketing. Prior to that, the automaker has already clarified that driver supervision is still needed with Full Self-Driving.” (02/18/26)

    https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/tesla-stops-using-autopilot-to-promote-its-evs-in-california-112533060.html

  • UK: Met making “initial inquiries” into claims about Andrew protection officers

    Source: BBC News [UK State Media]

    “The Metropolitan Police is carrying out ‘initial inquiries’ into allegations relating to close protection officers formerly assigned to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. It comes after an unnamed former senior Met protection officer told LBC that members of the Royalty and Specialist Protection (RaSP) may have ‘wilfully turned a blind eye’ during visits to a private island owned by Jeffery Epstein. Multiple survivors have alleged they were trafficked to and abused on the island, known as Little St James, which Epstein purchased in 1998. In a statement, the Met said it had ‘not identified any wrongdoing’ but ‘initial enquiries into these specific allegations have begun so we can establish the facts’. Speaking to LBC on Tuesday, the former Met protection officer claimed Andrew’s protection team travelled with him to the private island on at least two occasions, including travelling on Epstein’s private jet on one of those occasions.” (02/18/26)

    https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy57ry1vne0o

  • Bulgaria: Regime to hold snap elections on April 19

    Source: US News & World Report

    “Bulgaria ⁠will ⁠hold a ⁠snap parliamentary election on April ​19, President Iliana Iotova said on Wednesday. Iotova ‌last week picked ‌Andrey Gyurov, deputy governor of ⁠the ⁠Bulgarian National Bank, to head a caretaker ​government tasked with preparing the way for another parliamentary election, which will be ​the eighth in just five years ⁠in the ⁠EU and NATO ⁠member ​state. The previous government resigned on December 11 ​following weeks ⁠of street protests over its economic policies and perceived failure to tackle corruption.” (02/18/26)

    https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2026-02-18/bulgaria-will-hold-snap-elections-on-april-19-says-president

  • Hungary to suspend diesel shipments to Ukraine over interruption to Russian oil supply

    Source: SFGate

    “Hungary is suspending its shipments of diesel to neighboring Ukraine until interruptions to Russian oil supplies via a pipeline that crosses Ukrainian territory are resolved, Hungary’s foreign minister said Wednesday. Russian oil shipments to Hungary and Slovakia have been interrupted since Jan. 27 after what Ukrainian officials say were Russian attacks that damaged the Druzhba pipeline, which carries Russian crude into Central Europe. Hungary and Slovakia, which have both received a temporary exemption from a European Union policy prohibiting imports of Russian oil, have accused Ukraine — without providing evidence — of deliberately holding up supplies. In a video posted on social media Wednesday, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said the interruption to oil deliveries was ‘a political decision made by the Ukrainian president himself.’ Ukraine has denied such accusations.” (02/18/26)

    https://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/hungary-will-suspend-diesel-shipments-to-ukraine-21360242.php

  • Wexner to be deposed in congressional probe of Epstein files

    Source: Seattle Times

    “Les Wexner’s long-time friendship with Jeffrey Epstein will be the subject of a closed-door congressional deposition in Ohio on Wednesday, where the billionaire retail magnate is expected to face questions about new revelations contained in the latest release of Justice Department documents related to the late sexual predator. Wexner, 88, the retired founder of L Brands, has said he plans to cooperate with a subpoena from Democrats on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. As one of Epstein’s most prominent former friends, Wexner has already spent years answering for their decades-long association. In court documents, prominent Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre claimed that Wexner was one of the men Epstein trafficked her to.” (02/17/26)

    https://archive.is/Rb4HF

  • CA: Zuckerberg arrives to testify in frivolous social media addiction suit

    Source: BBC News [UK State Media]

    “Mark Zuckerberg, the Facebook co-founder, arrived at a California court on Wednesday where he is due to testify in a landmark legal case over whether social media is addictive to children. It will mark Zuckerberg’s first appearance before a jury after years of backlash against his company, Meta Platforms, which also owns Instagram and WhatsApp. Lawyers for Meta have argued the lead plaintiff in this case, known by her initials K.G.M, was hurt by other things in her life and not by her use of Instagram. The Los Angeles trial, in which Google’s YouTube is also a defendant, is being closely watched for its implications for thousands of similar lawsuits facing social media giants. TikTok and Snapchat, which had also been named in the lawsuit, settled shortly before trial was scheduled to begin. Terms of the settlements were not disclosed.” (02/18/26)

    https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y42znjnjvo

  • Philippines: Duterte announces run for president in 2028

    Source: Al Jazeera [Qatari state media]

    “Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte has said she intends to run for president in the upcoming 2028 election, following in the footsteps of her notorious father, ex-President Rodrigo Duterte, who is currently on trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity. … Duterte also asked her followers for their ‘forgiveness’ over her previous support for incumbent President Ferdinand Marcos Jr during the last presidential election. … Despite throwing her support behind Marcos’s election bid five years ago, Duterte and the president have since become bitter rivals, particularly following the launch of a corruption inquiry in 2024 into Duterte’s misuse of government funds.” (02/18/26)

    https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/2/18/philippine-vp-sara-duterte-announces-run-for-president-in-2028

  • Following Trump’s lead, some GOP states seek to limit environmental regulations

    Source: SFGate

    “Some Republican legislators are looking to restrict their states’ ability to set environmental regulations, a move that comes as President Donald Trump’s administration pushes to roll back environmental rules on power plants, water and greenhouse gases. The Alabama Legislature on Tuesday approved legislation backed by business groups that would prevent state agencies from setting restrictions on pollutants and hazardous substances exceeding those set by the federal government. In areas where no federal standard exists, the state could adopt new rules only if there is ‘a direct causal link’ between exposure to harmful emissions and ‘manifest bodily harm’ to humans. Supporters said the Alabama measure would ground standards in ‘sound science’ and prevent regulatory overreach. Environmental groups said it would cripple the state’s ability to respond to environmental or health risks, including a group of chemicals known as PFAS, or forever chemicals, that has contaminated swaths of the South.” (02/18/26)

    https://www.sfgate.com/news/politics/article/following-trump-s-lead-some-gop-states-seek-to-21360310.php


  • Pupil power: Why the US South is seeing education gains

    Source: Christian Science Monitor
    by staff

    “In a well-known folktale, young Goldilocks tests out three bears’ porridge (too hot, too cold, just right), as well as their chairs and beds. The story delights most children of preschool age. But when these children enter school, according to education experts in the United States, a ‘Goldilocks approach’ to developing foundational skills does not serve them well. Teaching and grading that aligns content and standards to a ‘just right’ fit, rather than challenging students to grow, is a disservice, in the view of University of Illinois Chicago literacy professor Timothy Shanahan. ‘This popular approach to teaching has been holding kids back rather than helping them succeed,’ he wrote in The Conversation last fall. ‘Students learn more when taught with more difficult texts.'” (02/17/26)

    https://www.csmonitor.com/Editorials/the-monitors-view/2026/0217/Pupil-power-Why-the-US-South-is-seeing-education-gains

  • With Trump hitting new lows, the GOP is experiencing a moral reckoning

    Source: The Hill
    by Max Burns

    “The Lenten season offers us the opportunity to look beyond ourselves and our short-term interests. That call to humility and service feels more needed than ever. If Trump and his weak Republican enablers on Capitol Hill won’t humble themselves to serve the public, voters will be more than willing to do the humbling for them.” (02/18/26)

    https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/5741875-trump-moral-decline-lent/

  • The AI Future: Between Certain Doom and Endless Prosperity

    Source: Cato Institute
    by Kevin T Frazier

    “Since early 2023, the AI discourse in the popular press and in legislative chambers has been defined by extremes. Then-Majority Leader Chuck Schumer invited AI experts to the Senate and heard extensively about the existential risks posed by AI. He wasn’t the only one to associate AI with the potential end of humanity. Then-FTC Chair Lina Khan shared that she had a p(doom) of around 15 percent — her odds that AI would cause a cataclysmic event. … Today, plenty of folks are convinced of exactly the opposite. Tech luminaries such as Elon Musk envision a bright future in which humanity is surrounded by abundance. Conversations around the end of work, universal basic income, and similar utopian outcomes (to some) pass for normal chatter these days.” (02/18/26)

    https://www.cato.org/commentary/ai-future-between-certain-doom-endless-prosperity

  • The Ticking Time Bomb Looming Over Gaza

    Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
    by Caitlin Johnstone

    “One under-discussed ticking time bomb is the way Israel keeps saying it’s going to resume incinerating Gaza if Hamas doesn’t disarm while Hamas keeps saying it won’t disarm. Netanyahu’s office is saying that Hamas will soon be given a 60-day deadline to give up its arms, after which the full-scale bombing of the enclave will resume if these demands aren’t met. A lot of people don’t understand that Hamas has never at any point agreed to give up its weapons. To give up its weapons would be to surrender, which is a very different thing from agreeing to a ceasefire. … Israel and its allies have no legitimate basis upon which to demand that Hamas surrender. All they can legitimately do is stop murdering and abusing the Palestinians.” (02/18/26)

    https://caitlinjohnstone.com.au/2026/02/18/the-ticking-time-bomb-looming-over-gaza-and-other-notes/

  • The student loan system is working just perfectly

    Source: Adam Smith Institute
    by Tim Worstall

    “As we’ve been known to remark around here prices are information. We may not like the information being transmitted but that’s an incentive to change what is being done rather than to try and hide the price. On this basis the student loan system is working just perfectly …. We are seeing the price of trying to have 50% of the age cohort going to university. It’s a very high price too. One that — clearly — isn’t worth it as the whingeing is showing. But that’s what having that price, clear and obvious, does for us. Tells us that this isn’t working. … The price is too high therefore we need to change what we’re doing.” (02/18/26)

    https://www.adamsmith.org/blog/the-student-loan-system-is-working-just-perfectly

  • Rise in transgender killers proves we have a major mental health crisis unfolding

    Source: New York Post
    by Karol Markowicz

    “In what is becoming a regular occurrence, someone trans-identifying is accused of committing a mass murder, this time during a high school hockey game, in suburban Rhode Island. Robert Dorgan, who preferred to be called Roberta, killed his ex-wife and one of his own children and shot three more people before turning a gun on himself. In 2020, Dorgan had told police that he was being kicked out of his home, by his father-in-law, after Dorgan had undergone ‘gender-reassignment surgery.’ His wife, Rhonda Dorgan, wrote ‘gender reassignment surgery, narcissistic + personality disorder traits’ as her grounds for divorce, but those words were crossed out and ‘irreconcilable differences which have caused the immediate breakdown of the marriage’ was written instead.” (02/17/26)

    https://nypost.com/2026/02/17/opinion/the-rise-in-transgender-killers-proves-that-we-have-a-major-mental-health-crisis-unfolding/

  • California Forever Stagnating

    Source: Foundation for Economic Education
    by Mark Moses

    “For over a century, California stood as a frontier of first resort for the ambitious, attracting those eager to escape old-world constraints in exchange for a promise of radical autonomy. This California Dream was not a byproduct of luck; it was forged by a Gold Rush mentality that enshrined risk-taking as a prerequisite for success. This unique acceptance of failure sank roots early in the state’s consciousness, fueling a risk culture that welcomed entrepreneurs from around the globe. Supported by a strategic Pacific Rim location and fertile lands, this environment allowed innovators to transform California into a global powerhouse for agriculture, entertainment, and technology. However, modern political policies have effectively inverted these historical strengths, transforming a once-nimble sanctuary into a restrictive regulatory state.” (02/18/26)

    https://fee.org/articles/california-forever-stagnating/

  • SCOTUS Pro-Trump Immigration Rulings Threaten Decades of Progress

    Source: Common Dreams
    by Rashell Khan

    “The justices on the Supreme Court should not favor the president who appointed them because checks and balances demand that they uphold the law without passion or prejudice. The current Supreme Court has increasingly shown a pattern of siding with the Trump administration — a result made predictable by the court’s conservative majority. Immigration cases have, with rare exception, aligned along these partisan lines. On June 27, 2025, the Supreme Court sidestepped the question of birthright citizenship and overruled lower court decisions that sought to protect it. The original plaintiffs filed suit to enjoin the enforcement of the executive order that identifies circumstances in which a person born in the United States is ‘not subject to the jurisdiction thereof,’ thereby restricting the constitutionally guaranteed bestowal of birthright citizenship. The Trump administration petitioned the Supreme Court, which granted review.” (02/18/26)

    https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/trump-supreme-court-immigration

  • When Moderation Becomes Method: Scientism and the Prestige of Experts

    Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
    by Maros Giansante & Sérgio Alberich

    “Contemporary culture grants increasing prestige to the figure of the expert who avoids explicit commitments and presents himself as moderate, technical, and ‘non-ideological.’ This posture is celebrated as a sign of intellectual maturity. In an environment saturated with open conflict, the refusal to choose appears prudent. Moderation becomes a public virtue. The problem arises when moderation ceases to be circumstantial and begins to function as a method.” (02/18/26)

    https://mises.org/power-market/when-moderation-becomes-method-scientism-and-prestige-experts

  • The Iran Hawks’ Distorted View of Iran

    Source: Eunomia
    by Daniel Larison

    “Hawks routinely try to paint adversaries as irrational in order to make diplomacy with the other side seem impossible and not worth trying.” (02/18/26)

    https://daniellarison.substack.com/p/the-iran-hawks-distorted-view-of

  • Time for a Civil Rights Reset

    Source: Law & Liberty
    by Thomas F Powers

    “The right is giving America a beneficial opportunity to rethink the foundational principles of civil rights law.” (02/18/26)

    https://lawliberty.org/forum/time-for-a-civil-rights-reset/

  • If Dems do him dirty, Stephen A Smith could be the next RFK Jr

    Source: Fox News
    by David Marcus

    “As sports media star Stephen A. Smith teased talk of a presidential run in 2028 this weekend, there is one thing that he and those advising him must surely know: The Democratic Party does not nominate outsiders. This is a lesson that Sen. Bernie Sanders [I-VT] learned in both 2016 and 2020 as his populist socialist movement was blocked at every turn by party leaders. To his credit as a politician, Sanders and the socialists, after a decade of work, have now all but taken over the party. The more relevant example to Stephen A’s would-be grab for the golden ring in 2028 is not Sanders, it is Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., whose mistreatment by the DNC led him to endorse President Donald Trump in 2024.” (02/18/26)

    https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/david-marcus-democrats-do-him-dirty-stephen-a-smith-could-next-rfk-jr

  • The Truth About Free Will

    Source: Quillette
    by Michael Shermer

    “Neuroscience’s challenge to free will misses the point: consciousness and choice emerge from complex systems, not individual neurons.” (02/18/26)

    https://quillette.com/2026/02/18/the-truth-about-free-will-determinism/

  • ICE’s “Warrant” Shortcut Violates the Constitution

    Source: The Daily Economy
    by Tahmineh Dehbozorgi

    “ICE claims agents can enter private homes using their own paperwork — without asking a judge first. The Fourth Amendment was written for moments like this.” ()2/18/26)

    https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/ices-warrant-shortcut-violates-the-constitution/

  • In Silicon Valley, Hegseth is just one link in the brave new kill chain

    Source: Responsible Statecraft
    by Shana Marshall

    “Traditionally, weapons expos are about putting producers in contact with buyers, and they feature large scale sites where companies set up booths to showcase hardware capabilities and include simulations and even live-fire demonstrations. In these spec-ops safe-spaces, government procurement officials and top brass could brush elbows with warlords and mercenaries to take turns shouldering JAVELINs and downing batch bourbons. But with the introduction of more Silicon Valley tech firms into the MIC, many industry gatherings feature asset managers and investors from venture capital and private equity firms who care less about the specs than the ROI. Gone are the ‘booth babes’ of yesteryear, replaced by baby-faced billionaires in Patagonia quarter zips. Spurred on by the advent of ZIRP (zero-interest rate policy), allowing investors to borrow money essentially for free, and the decline of consumer-focused tech products, investors have turned their focus to military markets.” (02/18/26)

    https://responsiblestatecraft.org/defense-tech-silicon-valley/

  • Do Democrats Have a Plan for the Post-Trump World Order?

    Source: The American Prospect
    by Jen Kirby

    “The Friday nightcap session at the Munich Security Conference focused on ‘seismic shifts’ in U.S. foreign policy, and it featured a bit of an odd grouping: Matthew Whitaker, the current United States ambassador to NATO; Gretchen Whitmer, the Democratic governor of Michigan; and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the progressive Democratic congresswoman from New York. The panelists sat in a circle at the center of the room, surrounded on both sides by the audience, all wearing lanyards around their neck, some sipping wine, and many reaching upward to take photos. The tilt of their iPhones gave away who they were all here to see.” (02/18/26)

    https://prospect.org/2026/02/18/democrats-nato-europe-new-world-order-munich-security-conference/

  • ICE Expansion and the Architecture of a Security State

    Source: Libertarian Institute
    by Matt Wolfson

    “The militarization of American cities by ICE is being addressed, or not addressed, around constitutional, moral, and practical questions familiar to Americans from sixty years of debates over ‘law and order.’ Does ICE’s deployment follow the law? What kind of deference is law enforcement due? Is the force deployed by ICE proportional to the threat? And, in general, is it appropriate to oppose the fact that a duly-elected president who was put into office on a promise of deporting illegal immigrants is actually fulfilling that promise? All of these are worthy questions on which reasonable people can disagree. But they are not the most relevant questions, and their relative irrelevance is why they have been embraced so enthusiastically by both political parties and their corporate media outlets.” (02/18/26)

    https://libertarianinstitute.org/articles/ice-expansion-and-the-architecture-of-a-security-state

  • A Proposal for a New European Order

    Source: The American Conservative
    by Dr. Anton Friesen

    “After the end of the war in Ukraine, what would be the nature of a European order that included Russia instead of marginalizing it? What is the future for Europe in an increasingly multipolar world? How should such a European order be institutionalized so that peace, freedom, democracy, and effectiveness are ensured and Europe’s own identity is protected? These are questions that cannot wait to be asked until the guns finally fall silent in Ukraine. In the present context, these questions can only be outlined sketchily in the space of a few pages. Nevertheless, it is worth trying to find an alternative for Europe.” (02/18/26)

    https://www.theamericanconservative.com/a-proposal-for-a-new-european-order/

  • Can Trump’s Plan for Warehouse Immigrant Detention Camps Be Stopped?

    Source: The Intercept
    by Natasha Lennard

    “When Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, last week announced that ICE’s ‘surge’ in Minnesota would wind down, it marked a significant victory for the thousands of Minnesotans who have fought back against the federal forces terrorizing their state; resistance forced the Trump regime to change its plans. But nothing is ramping down when it comes to the deportation machine at large. When billions of dollars are spent to turn industrial spaces into detention camps, authoritarian desires meet market logic: The warehouses must be filled. Local communities are nonetheless pushing back, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable federal forces with unlimited funding, abetted by powerful private interests who stand to gain from this carceral build-out.” (02/17/26)

    https://theintercept.com/2026/02/17/warehouses-immigration-detention-camp-prisons-immigrants/

  • Remembering Ed Crane

    Source: Town Hall
    by Star Parker

    “Within the last six months, two friends, both pioneers and giants in the world of ideas in Washington, D.C., passed from this world. One, Ed Feulner, was the co-founder of the Heritage Foundation, which became the nation’s defining policy institute for conservative ideas. Now, last week, Ed Crane, the co-founder of the Cato Institute, passed away. Ed Crane built Cato to become the major presence in the nation’s capital for libertarian ideas and policy. My personal involvement with Cato began in 1996 when I was invited to join the national advisory board for Cato’s project to transform Social Security from a government tax and spend program to a program of individually owned personal retirement accounts. When I began working in the business of policy reform, a friend pointed out to me the words of futurist John Naisbitt, who observed, ‘Don’t get so far ahead of the parade that no one knows you’re in it.'” (02/18/26)

    https://townhall.com/columnists/starparker/2026/02/18/remembering-ed-crane-n2671468

  • Your Bucks Stop with the TSA

    Source: JimBovard.com
    by James Bovard

    “If you get stopped at an airport security checkpoint with $100 or more in cash, Transportation Security Administration agents can fleece you. TSA has stripped more than 10,000 travelers of their money since 2014, but the supposed ‘criminals’ are almost never charged after their cash is taken. A class-action federal court case could finally end this outrage.” (02/17/26)

    https://jimbovard.com/blog/2026/02/17/n-y-post-your-bucks-stop-with-the-tsa/

  • He refused to censor his syllabus — so Texas Tech cancelled his class

    Source: Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression
    by Graham Piro

    “Texas Tech leaders have somehow convinced themselves that race and gender are not legitimate topics to discuss in a psychology class. That’s absurd on its face: You can’t teach human behavior while treating basic dimensions of human identity as off-limits. Will Crescioni, a lecturer in Texas Tech’s Department of Psychological Sciences, submitted his course materials for his honors-level psychology course the same day the Texas Tech system issued a memo ordering universities to review courses and ensure faculty do not ‘promote or otherwise inculcate’ certain ideas related to race and gender. Just over a month later — and only two days before the semester began — his course was scrapped. His offense? Refusing to alter his course content.” (02/17/26)

    https://www.thefire.org/news/he-refused-censor-his-syllabus-so-texas-tech-cancelled-his-class

  • Secession often is desirable

    Source: The Price of Liberty
    by Nathan Barton

    “A New Mexico state representative has again filed a constitutional amendment that would allow three or more contiguous counties in the State to vote to secede if at least 15% of the counties’ electorate sign a petition to put the question on the ballot and then there is a simple majority vote. While no one expects the bill to even get out of committee, it shows that secession from States is still considered a valid and desirable action in many States.” (02/17/26)

    https://thepriceofliberty.org/2026/02/17/secession-often-is-desirable/